A Staycation in Makati

As I typed the word “staycation” in the title of this blog, the auto-correct notification popped up. I’m being recommended to change the word to satiation. But I was really meaning to talk about my recent staycation. I started thinking maybe it wasn’t an acceptable word after all? So I had to ask around and look it up in the net. And so, before my thoughts get me carried away:

 Wikipedia defines staycation as “a holiday spent in one’s home country rather than abroad.”

Now, going back to my story for today: We really didn’t have any plans of spending on hotels within the city, but because the cooling system of our condo needed to be fixed, we had no choice but to relocate for the meantime. When looking for a hotel, I opted to stay at Makati’s Salcedo Village – this is within 1 kilometer radius from our place. You see, I lived in Salcedo Village way back 2005 through 2008 – and though it’s walking distance to where we are staying now, I seldom have the chance to go back to take a stroll at the Salcedo Park. More than a decade ago, I frequented this place for my daily walks, and was a regular shopper during the Saturday market. I remember befriending a lot of adorable dogs being walked around the Salcedo Park at that time – like this cute little Frenchie named Frankenstein, and this English bulldog couple – I forget the name of the male, but Elvira was one I couldn’t forget because of one funny encounter with the princess.

We stayed at a condotel called Infinity Tower Suites along H.V Dela Costa corner Leviste St. I thought they offered the best value for money because the price per night included free parking, WIFI, and daily breakfast for 2 at The Wholesome Table – known for serving healthy, organic food.

What I liked about this hotel are: the big, spacious room equipped with cookware, stove and fridge; the room’s view of the city; the friendly and responsive staff; close proximity to restaurants and cafes; sufficient cooling system; and fast, reliable internet connection.

What could be improved: the bathroom needed an upgrade (the faucet on the sink only had hot water); the TV in the room was small; and there was an instance I called out the hotel’s housekeeping because the environment protection card was not being followed. I noticed that the linens were being changed even when we didn’t leave the card on the bed; and the towels were being replaced even when we hung them and we didn’t put them on the floor. There was also an instance my brown bag for compost was thrown away – when I noted on the bag that it was not for discarding because I intended to bring it home for composting. It only contained paper (not produce). It’s good that the hotel was responsive to this feedback and they were able to return my brown bag and addressed the points I raised.

The breakfast options at The Wholesome Table were diverse: D’s favorite was the Meat and Eggs Plate. My favorite dishes were the PB&J Teddy Toast, the Overnight Oats and the Ratatouille and Toast.

There were new restaurants and shops that we were able to try out. We had lunch or dinner at the nearby restos like the Kite Bar; 8 Cuts Burger; Tai Koo Hong Kong Roast; Toby’s Estate; Salad Stop; Warung Indo; Y Café; and The Old Spaghetti House. I was also able to buy some sustainable gifts at The Echo Store which was a few buildings away.

During the ten days that we stayed at Infinity Suites, I was able to visit the Salcedo Park once again and shopped for lunch there one Saturday. More importantly, I met a newfound friend in little Bogart – a happy cuddly dog who I bumped into one night walking back from Greenbelt mall.

Now, we are home sweet home and settled back into our condo. Looking back at the last ten days, I’m glad we were able to spend some time in the old neighborhood. While a lot has changed, the good stuff (watching dogs walking around the park) remains. I’d like to go back more often, even just for a long walk.

We paid for everything during our staycation. Just wanted to share what and where I was up to over the last few days.